Sommerberg

Sommerberg is an east/southeast-facing launch at 730 m in Germany's Black Forest, with pilots reaching the Auchhalder Kopf takeoff on foot from the Hermannsweg mountain station rather than driving up. Hang-glider pilots are the exception — the slope path can only be driven by hang-glider pilots holding one of a maximum of two special permits. The site runs on a firm daily cap: no more than 80 launches and landings are allowed here per day, so it's worth checking how busy the site already is before adding to the count. Landing is at the Sommerberg field in the Kurpark.

Launch & conditions

Reached on foot from the Hermannsweg mountain station to the Auchhalder Kopf launch; only hang-glider pilots with one of two special permits may drive the slope path.

Local rules & hazards

No more than 80 launches and landings are permitted at this site per day.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Sommerberg, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Sommerberg with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.